Researching the stories behind From Street to Trench

In our first guest blog, IWM’s Charlotte Czyzyk writes about researching the life stories behind the From Street to Trench exhibition.

I worked as a Researcher on the special exhibition From Street to Trench: A World War that Shaped a Region, which opened at IWM North in Manchester on 5 April 2014. The exhibition focuses on the lives and experiences of people connected to the North West of England during the First World War, both those who served overseas and those who remained at home. I encountered so many incredible stories during the research process.

One of the most moving pieces on display in the exhibition is a scribbled note by Frank Middleton (pictured above) to his mother, to apologise for leaving to join the army without saying goodbye and asking her not to cry.

Frank Middleton’s note

“Dear Mother

“I go away today … please don’t weep”

Last week I got paid up at the Starch works, but did no[t] like telling you. On Monday I went to join the army and [first?] I go away today but don’t [k]no[w] where to, but will let you know. Please don’t weep, same has [sic] I am now, I know that I am doing wrong but its [seams?] to that I had to go.

From your loving Son

Frank”

Researching the life story behind the note

Frank wrote home again on many occasions, the last time just two weeks before he died – we know from Frank’s medal index card that he was killed in action on 16 June 1915.

Using the data sets available on Lives of the First World War, I have been able to piece together additional information about Frank’s life – that Frank was born in 1891 in Rochdale, Lancashire to Martha and Charles Middleton; that he had two sisters; that he worked as a quilt weaver and labourer in Eccles and that he joined the army just after Christmas in 1914.

Finally, his service record told me that he was believed to have been buried by the Middlesex Regiment, 8th Infantry Brigade. However, his grave must have later been lost, because looking at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, his name now features on the Menin Gate memorial to the missing in Ypres.

2 Responses to Researching the stories behind From Street to Trench

I’m afraid I don’t have any further information for your particular request. However, I am in possession of a letter from my husband’s Granddad, written from the trenches during WWI. We know nothing about him because everything was sold by an Aunt after his death. Could you use a scan of the letter for your exhibition? Also, could you give advice on how we can research to find out about which regiment he was from and anything about his wartime experiences please? We don’t even know of any medals he may have been awarded, but he did return home without any visible disabilities, married and had one son after the war. Many thanks.

How fascinating – we would love to see a scan! The letters in the IWM North exhibition are a selection from IWM’s collections, but Lives of the First World War will offer the opportunity for everyone to share and digitise their First World War mementoes. The best way you can do this is to look out for the public launch of Lives of the First World War this summer – not long to go now!

When we’ve launched, you should be able to search for and find the Life Story page dedicated to your husband’s Granddad. It will have information on it to start with, such as name and service number. You will then be able to search records for more information about him, and also upload scans of your letter. If he served overseas with the British army, as he seems to have done, there will be a Medal Index Card for him in the records which were used to create the Life Story pages, so with some careful searching you should be able to find him. We’ll be blogging some tips for searching in the future, and the site itself will also contain guides to help you get started. This should enable you to discover his regiment, and perhaps more details about his story.

Thanks again for commenting – we look forward to Lives of the First World War hopefully helping you uncover the details of his Life Story.